Work positioning means



1938- J. M. RUSNAK ET AL 2,131,973

WORK POSITIONING MEANS Filed April 8, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inn/array; fuJ/VAK GH-HocHz-Yurd B ATTOZ K 'EY 1938. J. M. RUSNAK ET AL 2,131,973

WORK POSITIONING MEANS Filed April 8, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V"N TO Ru-TNAK Ind 61-], Hon/nun! I. IATTO EY Oct. 4, 1938.

J. M. RUSNAK E-i-AL WORK POSITIONING MEANS Filed April 8, 1956 3 SheetsSheet 3 J J M M y M. E m w m VEHO) T. MN w HM I &

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 PATNT DFFl-CE WORK POSITIONING lVIEANS John M. Rusnak and George H.-'Hochmuth,'West Hartford, Conn, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Niles-Bement-Pond Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 8, 1936, Seria1 No. 73,334

4 Claims.

This invention relates to machine tools and more particularly to improved means to accurately determine the position of a work supporting table movable on a machine tool relative to a fixed part of the machine. Primarily the present invention relates to an improvement in work positioning means similar to those described and claimed in the patent to Hanson 1,323,267 granted December 2, 1919.

A primary object of the invention is to provide complete and permanently mounted posi tion-determining equipment on the machine tool enabling extremely accurate adjustments to be made of the table positions without the necessity of removing and replacing separable parts such as measuring rods, micrometers, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated measuring bar or rod having a number of fixed spaced-apart projections thereon, the bar being oscillatable about its axis to positions to engage an abutment on the movable table with any of its projections or oscillatable to a position enabling the abutment to pass the projections when the table is being adjusted to new positions.

It is another object of the invention to provide a measuring bar or rod mounted in a machine tool and adapted for movement axially a limited distance during the positioning operation, the bar being adapted to be oscillated about its axis to and from a measuring position to permit movement of the table over relatively long distances between adjustments to new positions.

A still further object of the invention is to permanently house a micrometer within the base of the machine adjacent one end of the measuring bar or rod and to provide means to axially adjust the position of a micrometer anvil to contact with and actuate the pointer of a dial indicator, or other indicating means, to determine when the table has been moved precisely to a predetermined adjusted position.

With the aboveand other objects in view, our

invention may include the following features of construction and operation set forth in the accompanying specification and drawings.

In the accompanying drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, we have shown our invention embodied in a jig boring machine of the type. shown in the abovereferred to patent to Hanson, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that .thedrawings arenot to be construed as defining or limiting the scopeof the invention. the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete machine provided with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of the saddle and work supporting table forming part of a machine tool to which the invention is applied.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the positioning device taken upon the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of'a portion of the saddle and table showing an end view of the positioning bar or rod and the table abutment engageable therewith.

In the above-mentioned drawings we have shown but one embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Briefly it may be stated that our invention is adapted to be associated with and is shown applied to a machine tool' of the vertical spindle milling or boring type, the work supporting table Ill of which is adjustable to different positions in a plane normal to the axis of the tool rotating and feeding spindle H. A saddle I2 is movable in one direction upon the machine base I3 and the work supporting table IB is movable upon the saddle I2 in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the saddle. The tool spindle II may be supported in a head I4 slidable vertically on ways pro vided on a column a. As the rotating and feeding means for the spindle II and for moving the head I4 form no part of the present invention, further description is not thought necessary.

Precisionmeasuring devices to be'more fully described hereafter are provided to determinethe distances moved by the table It on the saddle I2 and by'the saddle I2 'on the base I3. As these measuring means are similar to each other in every way, oneonly of them will be described.

A bar or rod I51having spaced projections I6 fixed or formed thereon, presently to be more fully described, is adapted to be placed in a suitable groove 1 1 in the base I3 or saddle I2 disposed in a direction parallel 'to the direction of movement of the table-or saddle. A micrometer I8 is mounted in ithe base I3 and saddle I2 so thataniend ofithis bar or rodimay contact with axially against its micrometer spindle I9. The

spindle I9 in turn will be axially moved to vary the position of the pointer 52 of its dial indicator 20. Each of the projections I6 on the bars or rods I5 has a cut away portion 22 at one "portion so that the bars I5 when oscillated-about their axes will permit an abutment 2| on the table ID or saddle I2 to pass any of'the projections I6 and, by oscillating the rods I5 to another or operative position, the abutment 2| will engage an end surface of any desired projection.

A plan view of the improved measuring or positioning'mechanism is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings in which the saddle I2, a part only'of which is shown, is indicated as having ways 23 along which the table II] -may be slidably adjusted. In order to move the table I0 laterally along this saddle I2 a screw 25 is provided disposed within the saddle I2 and engaging a nut 26 depending from thelower surface of the table I8. At one end of the screw 25 is a hand wheel 27 directly keyed thereto whereby rotation of the screw 25 may be effected to move the table 10 to the right or left as shown in Fig. 2. By means of a graduated dial 28 on this screw 25 positions may be approximately determined by reference to a zero line on the housing or bracket within which the screw 25 is mounted. Preferably also there is a slow motion device for rotating the screwr25 having a knob 30 on a short transverse shaft 3| at its outer end. By rotating the knob, extremely fine adjustments of the table movement may be effected. This slow motion device may be of any type and forms no part of the present invention. By rotating the hand wheel 2'! movements over longer distances may be easily effected at relatively high speed. It will be understood that there will be a screw 33 rotatably mounted in the base I3 corresponding to the a above described screw 25 in the saddle I2 so that the saddle I2 may be adjusted on the base I3. By rotation of this latter screw 33 the saddle I2 may be moved forward and backward on the base I 3 in a direction at right angles to the movement of the table I0 on the saddle I2.

may have a hand wheel 34 and slow motion device 35 similar to the first described screw.

In order to determine adjustments of the table II] on the saddle I2 to 'anextremely high precision, there is mounted a micrometer I8 preferably'laterally adjacent the endof the screw 25 above referred to, this micrometer I8 and itsassociated parts being moreclearly indicated in section in Fig. 3. 'As shown in section in this figure, the micrometer I8 is enclosed within a housing 4I secured directly to the saddle I2 and has an anvil 42 movable axially by means of a screw 43. The anvil 42 is splined to its casing as usual in. micrometers of this type to prevent rotative motion but to permit axial adjustment. The micrometer screw 43 is rotatable by means presently to be described so that this micrometer anvil 42 may be adjusted axially to any position. In order to rotatethe screw 43 to effect axial movements of this anvil 42, the micrometer I8 is provided with a sleeve 44 closely surrounding the As. shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, this screw 33.

anvil 42 and keyed to the screw 43. The sleeve 44 is rotatably mounted within suitable antifriction bearings and has a helical gear 45 secured on its outer surface. By means of a mating helical gear 46 engaging the gear 45 and mounted on a transverse shaft 41 having a hand wheel 48 at its outer end the anvil 42 may be adjusted to any position. A graduated dial 49 secured fixedly to the sleeve so that it will rotate with the sleeve and micrometer screw 43 enables the position of the anvil 42 axially within the micrometer frame or body member I8 to be determined.

In order to determine the precise adjustment of the table after the micrometer I8 has been adjusted and the table Illmoved up into position with the abutment 2I against one of the pro-.

jections I6 to be more fully described hereinafter, the dial indicator 20 is provided, the movable spindle 5| extended end of the micrometer screw 43. This part of the mechanism operates in every way similar to that shown in the above referred to patent to Hanson but is mounted sorthat the bar I5, the anvil 42 of the micrometer 40 andthe spindle 5| of the indicator 2!] are all in the same line. Pressure of the abutment 2I on table Ill presses the bar I5 toward andin contact with the micrometer anvil 42 which in turn presses against the dial indicator spindle 5i. 7 The table II] is moved therefore for any adjustment until the pointer 52 of the dial indicator 20 is moved to a predetermined or zero graduation.

Within the saddle I2 and disposed in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the table is the elongated bar or rod I5 preferably I6 of predetermined thickness and having care-- fully finished opposite faces. These discs I6 are held together by means of a rod 56 extending centrally therethrough whereby the assembled parts are retained in fixed position and form a complete built-up measuring bar or rod. The dimensions between corresponding faces of the discs I6 may for convenience be exactly an inch or an even two inches or any desired dimension to an extreme precision. As shown more clearly in Fig.4, the discs I6 form projections along the bar or rod I5and have an angular cut-out or notched portion 22. Preferably these cut-out portions on the projections I6 are in alinement with each other so that abutment 2I depending from the table I8 may in one position of the bar I5 pass each of the projections I6 but in another position of the bar the abutment maybe brought into contact with the side; face of any one of the discs or projections. In order to oscillate the bar or rod I5jabout its axis to its operative and inoperative positions a handle 51 may be provided on or adjacent an end portion for manual operation during the set-up oper-.

43 and the rod I5 willbe oscillated .to permit the abutment 2| to pass the projections. I6. The table will then be advanced to approximately the desired position by screw 25 rotated by handle 21.-

of which abuts against the The bar or rod I5 is then turned to its operative or abutment engaging position and the table I0 is slowly adjusted until the abutment 2| engages a side surface of one of the desired projections l6. Movement of the table [0 is then continued by the slow motion device by rotating knob 30 referred to above until the pointer 52 of the dial indicator 20 is in its zero indicating position. In this position the table will have been adjusted to the desired position.

What we claim is:

1. A table positioning device for machine tools comprising in combination, a support, a table movable horizontally thereon, a bar slidably mounted for limited movement in said support in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of said table, indicating means on said support to determine the axial position of said bar thereon, spaced projections on said bar, and a fixed abutment on said table, said bar being oscillatable about its axis to angularly different positions to engage a projection with said abutment and to permit said abutment to pass said projections when said table is moved on said support. e

2. A table positioning device for machine tools comprising in combination, a support, a table movable horizontally thereon, a bar slidably mounted for limited movement within the support and disposed parallelly to the direction of movement of said table, a micrometer mounted on said support and having its anvil adapted to contact against the end of said bar or rod for determining the axial position of said bar, a dial indicator adapted to contact with one end of said micrometer whereby the axial position of said bar may be determined, spaced projections on said bar, a fixed abutment on said table movable into contact with any one of said projections when said table is adjusted, and means to oscillate said bar about its axis whereby said abutment within said support, a dial indicator mounted:

in said support and having its gaging member in contact with said micrometer spindle, and an abutment on said table adapted to contact with any one of said projections on said bar when said table is in adjusted position and adapted to force said micrometer spindle and gaging member of said indicator axially, said bar being oscillatable about its axis to angularly different positions to engage a projection with said abutment in one angular position and to permit said abutment to pass said projections in another angular position when said table is moved on said support.

4. A positioning device for a movable work supporting table comprising in combination, a support, a table movable horizontally thereon, a micrometer mounted in said support for limited axial movement of its spindle therein, a bar engaging said micrometer and moved thereby, a plurality of projections on said bar having recesses formed therein, an abutment on said table adapted to engage any one of said projections on said rod, said rod being oscillatable about its axis to permit movement of said table and abutment past said projections, and a dial indicator having its gaging member in contact with said micrometer spindle to determine when said table is in predetermined adjusted position.

JOHN M. RUSNAK. GEORGE H. I-IOCHMUTH. 

